Chapter 23: Fainted from Anger

Huo Xiu's Virgin Skill had already reached the realm of perfection; his True Qi was pure and refined, and his moves were fierce and sharp.

If one were to speak of the strength of his power, he was absolutely not beneath the likes of Ximen Chuixue, Dugu Yihe, and the others.

Yu Liancheng had originally held Huo Xiu in high regard, but only when they truly crossed blows did he realize he had still underestimated his opponent.

Huo Xiu rose into the air and threw out another punch; the force of his energy surged wildly, capable of whipping up a storm at any moment.

Yu Liancheng threw out a punch with his backhand; the wind of his fist was heavy and deep, as if wind and thunder were roaring, and its momentum was absolutely not to be underestimated.

The two fists collided without any fancy tricks; only a "bang" rang out like a muffled thunderclap, and the surrounding energy exploded outward.

Yu Liancheng was forced to take two steps back; this was the first time since he had debuted that he had been forced back from a frontal assault.

Although he had not used his full strength, neither had Huo Xiu.

If they were to continue fighting in this situation, it would take at least two hundred moves before a victor could be decided.

However, after eighty moves, the sound of clothes fluttering in the wind grew loud, and Huo Xiu fled.

He fled very quickly.

After all, he was old.

Not only was the person old, but his heart was old as well.

Once Yu Liancheng used a move that would result in mutual destruction, Huo Xiu could only retreat.

After this happened three times in a row, he was almost driven into a desperate situation by Yu Liancheng.

Finally, Yu Liancheng struck his chest with a palm; even though Huo Xiu resisted with all his might, causing the palm force to dissipate by more than half, leaving only two or three tenths of his True Qi, it was enough to make him suffer.

Coupled with the fact that Huo Xiu had already taken a palm strike earlier, with injury added to injury, Huo Xiu decisively chose to retreat.

He did not hesitate at all.

This Qingyi First Tower was his old lair, and he knew this place better than anyone else. He was seen darting to the wall, opening a secret door, and quickly disappearing from sight.

Yu Liancheng was not in a hurry to pursue; he reached out to summon the wine from the red clay stove, drank three mouthfuls, and laughed loudly: "The wine has just been warmed, and the enemy has already been defeated and fled."

Shangguan Xueer blinked her eyes: "Isn't the wine almost boiling? Half-master, are you really not afraid of being scalded?"

Yu Liancheng patted Shangguan Xueer's head and sighed: "You girl, sometimes you are very clever, and sometimes you are very stupid. You should learn from your sister, but by no means learn everything." Having said this, his figure flashed, and he went with Gongsun Lan to pursue Huo Xiu.

Shangguan Xueer turned her dark, lively eyes toward Shangguan Feiyan.

Shangguan Feiyan smiled sweetly: "Men are all concerned with face, so sometimes he lies for the sake of face. You shouldn't expose him; you should help him by agreeing. Of course, if you don't know how to agree, you should just look at him with admiring eyes; silence is also a way of speaking."

Shangguan Xueer nodded thoughtfully.

Huo Xiu's lightness skill was very high, but Yu Liancheng's lightness skill was even higher; he was confident he could catch up to his opponent, although it might take some time.

But unexpectedly, Yu Liancheng caught up to Huo Xiu very quickly.

Or rather, Huo Xiu was sitting on a stone platform waiting for Yu Liancheng.

He was actually quite leisurely, taking a wine cup and a wine pot from the side, pouring and drinking by himself.

Yu Liancheng slowed his pace and said: "You aren't running anymore?"

Huo Xiu sneered: "Why should I run?"

Yu Liancheng said: "Because you are no match for me, and I want to kill you."

Huo Xiu drank a cup of wine and suddenly changed the subject: "Do you have money on you?"

Yu Liancheng took a stack of banknotes from his bosom: "Not much, but there should be two or three thousand taels."

Huo Xiu said: "Dead people don't need so much money; after you die, I will definitely take the banknotes out for you."

Yu Liancheng said: "If I die, the banknotes will naturally be yours, but I am not dead yet; the one who will die is you." In his eyes, a blade-like light was already shining.

Huo Xiu said indifferently: "Do you think you have already got me in the palm of your hand?"

Yu Liancheng nodded.

He alone was enough to handle Huo Xiu, not to mention that there was a female swordswoman, Gongsun Lan, on the side.

"In fact, I didn't use my full strength in the fight just now. If we really fought to the death, I wouldn't necessarily lose to you."

Huo Xiu said: "But I am a merchant. Merchants always like to obtain the greatest profit at the least cost. Since I have a better way to kill you, why would I risk my life with you?"

Yu Liancheng said: "Oh? I wonder what this method is?"

"You will know immediately." Huo Xiu's hand pressed lightly on the stone platform, and suddenly with a "boom," a huge Iron cage fell from above, covering the stone platform.

Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow: "Are you crazy?"

Huo Xiu said: "I am not crazy, but you are going to be crazy—starved crazy."

Yu Liancheng said: "Oh?"

Huo Xiu said coldly: "The outer gate has already been sealed by me, and the only way out of here is under the stone platform I am sitting on. I can guarantee you that after I leave, I will certainly not forget to seal this path. Originally, I intended to use this to deal with Lu Xiaofeng, but unfortunately, you few little mice broke in ahead of time."

Gongsun Daniang, who had been silent, suddenly moved; two short swords appeared instantly, turning into two ribbons of sword light, slashing suddenly at the Iron cage.

With two "ding" sounds, sparks flew everywhere, and two shallow marks were left on the Iron cage.

Huo Xiu said indifferently: "I have always been a very stingy person, but when it comes to matters concerning my own life, I always put in a lot of effort. This Iron cage cast from refined Iron—even swords that can cut Iron like mud might not be able to cut through it."

Gongsun Daniang snorted coldly and threw out another handful of silver needles.

Huo Xiu did not dodge or move; only when the silver needles passed through the Iron cage did he beckon, and the dozen or so silver needles shimmering with dark light all fell into his palm. He was wearing thin silk gloves on his hands, though no one knew when he had put them on.

The skill of this old man's hands was so marvelous that even Gongsun Daniang could not help but exclaim in admiration.

"Although silver needles are not rare, they are at least quenched with poison, so they are worth a few taels of silver. It seems I have earned a little bit more today."

A smile appeared on Huo Xiu's face as he took out a handkerchief and wrapped up the silver needles: "Alright, I am leaving. I will wait at least a month before coming back. Good luck to you."

Yu Liancheng did not seem panicked at all and waved his hand with a smile: "Goodbye."

Huo Xiu smiled and stretched out his hand: "You will definitely miss me, because when my hand presses down, I will disappear, but you will have to stay here forever, starved crazy, starved to death."

His hand pressed down, but he did not disappear, and the smile on his face had already vanished.

He had been sitting upright on the stone platform, and now he was still sitting upright on the stone platform, only his face had become very ugly, as if someone had suddenly punched him in the nose.

Yu Liancheng laughed: "Why haven't you left yet? There is no one here to keep you for a meal."

Beads the size of soybeans suddenly emerged from Huo Xiu's forehead; he clenched his fists tightly and said, "You... you..." Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back, and he had already fainted.